Home Lighting: 7 Things You Didn't Know But Should (PHOTOS)

From The Daily Green's Brian Clark Howard:

Lighting is a significant expense for many of us, and it also affects how we work, play and feel. The good news is that new advances in technology are providing more comfort, flexibility and efficiency, as we learned in our new book Green Lighting.

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1. $1 Invested in Efficient Lighting Can Pay Back up to $6 in Energy Savings

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The standard incandescent bulb – what we typically think of as a "basic light bulb" – is a pretty inefficient piece of technology, wasting 90 to 98% of its electrical use as heat rather than useful light. Much better are fluorescents, including the now-ubiquitous compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which are roughly 75% more efficient for the same light output. By now, many people are aware of this fact, but few have taken a moment to actually calculate how much money they could save if they switched out their high-use bulbs to CFLs, as the commercials instruct us. In his book Wind Power for Dummies, Ian Woofenden calculates that a family using a 75-watt incandescent for six hours per day would spend about $54 a year on energy (at 32 cents per kWh, which admittedly is higher than most current prices, although experts expect utility rates to climb in the near future), including the costs of replacement bulbs at 75 cents each. If they replaced that instead with a 20-watt CFL, to produce the same amount of light, it would cost $14 a year to power. That fluorescent probably cost $6 but should last them four years at a use of six hours a day (without rapid switching), leading to a total expenditure of $15.50 per year over that time – $38.50 less per year than using incandescents. That's a simple return on investment (ROI) of 642% per year. That kind of ROI is hard to beat, which explains why heavy energy users, such as the managers of large commercial buildings, are switching to greener lighting in droves. Few technologies provide such a rapid payback on investment, and this blows away potential rivals like generating your own solar or wind power. One caveat: as we point out in Green Lighting, lighting tends to make up only about 9% of the typical American home's annual electricity use, so switching out your bulbs isn't necessarily going to make you rich (though it is certainly great for the planet). For commercial facilities, however, lighting makes up an average of 38% of electricity use. Related: Last-Chance Home Improvements That Qualify for $1,500 Tax Credits

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The standard incandescent bulb – what we typically think of as a "basic light bulb" – is a pretty inefficient piece of technology, wasting 90 to 98% of its electrical use as heat rather than useful light. Much better are fluorescents, including the now-ubiquitous compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which are roughly 75% more efficient for the same light output.

By now, many people are aware of this fact, but few have taken a moment to actually calculate how much money they could save if they switched out their high-use bulbs to CFLs, as the commercials instruct us. In his book Wind Power for Dummies, Ian Woofenden calculates that a family using a 75-watt incandescent for six hours per day would spend about $54 a year on energy (at 32 cents per kWh, which admittedly is higher than most current prices, although experts expect utility rates to climb in the near future), including the costs of replacement bulbs at 75 cents each. If they replaced that instead with a 20-watt CFL, to produce the same amount of light, it would cost $14 a year to power. That fluorescent probably cost $6 but should last them four years at a use of six hours a day (without rapid switching), leading to a total expenditure of $15.50 per year over that time – $38.50 less per year than using incandescents. That's a simple return on investment (ROI) of 642% per year.

That kind of ROI is hard to beat, which explains why heavy energy users, such as the managers of large commercial buildings, are switching to greener lighting in droves. Few technologies provide such a rapid payback on investment, and this blows away potential rivals like generating your own solar or wind power.

One caveat: as we point out in Green Lighting, lighting tends to make up only about 9% of the typical American home's annual electricity use, so switching out your bulbs isn't necessarily going to make you rich (though it is certainly great for the planet). For commercial facilities, however, lighting makes up an average of 38% of electricity use.

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Comments

[jeffneumanlee]

11:07 AM on 12/15/2010

What amazes me is the animosity of these comments, like different forms of lighting is some sort of plot. Geeesh.
I've replaced every light in my house except the dimmers and have saved lots of money off my electric bill. The CFL's don't seem to last as they should in ceiling fans; I don't know why. Some of them take a while to warm up, others get going immediately. The light is fine. Like one of the commentors, I too need lots of light, especially in the winter and I use them and it's fine. I've taken the few that died back to Home Depot and put them into the barrel at the front of the store. I understand you can do the same at an Ace Hardware.
The big bottom line is power created using carbon emitting methods. We have to reduce that or suffer more consequences. It's about caring about your own children and your neighbor.

[85Percent]

09:49 PM on 12/14/2010

I will be watching eagerly for more choices in LED lighting. I have had an LED reading light clipped to my headboard for about two years. Knock on wood, it is still going fine. I love the cool white light it produces, and it is bright enough for any task. It produces almost no heat at all, and since I live in the hot and humid deep south, that means a lot.

[Angelus2007]

03:38 PM on 12/14/2010

I have gone back to incandescent lighting. I don't really like the ligting I get from CFLs, it gives a yellowish look. The cost doesn't seem worth it. I have bought all different brands including those with energy star and they don't seem to last that much longer. Also the hassle of disposing them different makes it an easy choice. I have always thrown them out with everything else, I had no clue that I needed to find another way to get rid of them.

[steve11407]

02:52 PM on 12/14/2010

I wonder how much energy it takes to produce and dispose of the of the extra packaging the new CFL's require? I bought a 6-pack that had bulbs in a heavy cardboard box that in turn were packaged in a heavy cardboard box. Tail wagging the dog.

[Steph Monster]

02:36 PM on 12/14/2010

That even when somethings off, if it's plugged in it's costing you energy

http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/blogs/four-green-steps/green-ways-to-save-money

[OdinsEye]

08:45 PM on 12/14/2010

That is not completely true.

Your assertion holds true for anything which 1) has a display or a standby indicator which remains on when the machine has been turned off, 2) has a "standby" mode, 3) can be turned on with a remote, or 4) uses a "wall wart" or inline "brick" power adapter (transformer). Many of the devices which do not have any of these listed features consume zero power when turned off.

[scottyknows]

06:51 PM on 12/13/2010

One thing the article failed to mention is the savings from progressives when it comes to green issues, for most of the time they are completely in the dark.

[OdinsEye]

04:04 PM on 12/12/2010

As some have mentioned, lots of times the "equivalent" rating on the CFL packaging is misleading. There is no real standardization for this label. IT IS UP TO THE CONSUMER TO RESEARCH THIS.

There is also no standardization on labeling initial and mean lumens.

For example, GE's incandescent 60 Watt bulbs, depending on exact model, range in lumens from about 630 on the low end to 865 on the high end. GE labels their 13 Watt CFLs as 60 Watt equivalents. This is because thier initial lumens are generally in high end of the 60 Watt incandescent range. The kicker is that the 13 Watt CFL's mean lumens are at the low end of the 60 Watt incandecent's range. You really need to go up to the 15 Watt GE CFL's to truly be in the 60 Watt incandescent equivalent range -- though initially the CFLs will put out more light.

Additionally, the lumen output of CFLs does decay a great deal over its lifetime, more so than incadescents, meaning you may end up replacing those CFLs before they completely quit working.

[Berettasskeeter]

10:18 AM on 12/12/2010

The author parrots the party line about CFL's producing comparable light to incandescents. It isn't true, and you all know it. I replaced my 100 watt incandescents for 60 watt flourescents, on the premise that the packaging was NOT lying to me about being the same. Have gone darn blind from trying to read with them. Flourescents produce less light, watt for watt, and make reading significantly harder. Yes, they are cheaper and last longer. But I'm stocking up on incandescents, and I'll be the last to go blind from trying to read in insufficient light.
Semper fi

[PRONESE]

07:30 AM on 12/12/2010

I will be that old geezer, lamenting the U.S. Incandescent Bulb Ban of '14.
Year 2030 pointing I will point up at the ceiling at my 60 watt tungsten filament
light bulb with my cane saying " See that! That is REAL light!
Link: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Light_bulb
More Coffee...
R/ PRONESE

[Steve1961]

07:53 PM on 12/11/2010

This CFL movement only caused different types of problems. Including.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/07/AR2010090706933.html

[Organic-Guy]

10:57 AM on 12/11/2010

I use CFL's everywhere, inside, outside, the barn and bathrooms etc., and have even before most people ever heard of them. I have one here that I've had for almost 20 years now. I bought a bunch of them through a power company incentive program back then and I'd still have most of them had I not moved so many times and had to handle them that many times. (I always took them with me when I was renting). If you buy quality and don't touch them and don't turn them on and off excessively they can last a long time and save you big. Here in Vermont you can, quite often buy really good ones for a dollar or two using coupons provided by the power company. they did the math and figured out that little incentive programs like that are less expensive than building new power infrastructure and lowering demand means more life for the infrastructure we already have.

[Merlin Love]

06:22 PM on 12/11/2010

You've been had buddy. CFL's do last a long time, but no longer than an incandescent or halogen dimmed. CFL's also are full of mercury, terrible for the environment, take a lot more carbon to produce, and put off an unpleasant spectrum of light. It's all marketing, really. GE and others would rather sell you a $5 bulb than a 25 cent one.

[suzc]

07:11 PM on 12/11/2010

Sadly, every one of them is made in China!

USA doesn't make light bulbs anymore, either.

[Clint Abear]

07:50 PM on 12/11/2010

on the bright side we can start a led factory here and make them green! got jobs?

[OdinsEye]

01:52 AM on 12/11/2010

The best way to save money on electricity used for lighting:

#1 TURN OFF LIGHTS when a room is empty! Don't worry about the cost of turning the lights on and off, the cost savings break point is just a matter of seconds.

#2 Use smaller, task specific lights vs. high power, large general area lights.

#3 Light colored wall and ceiling paint will reflect light better and brighten a room considerably.

#4 Acoustic "popcorn" ceilings absorb light more than smooth or lightly textured ceilings.

#5 TURN OFF LIGHTS when a room is empty!

[Merlin Love]

06:35 PM on 12/11/2010

All great suggestions... an occupancy sensor in a room can help as well.

[OdinsEye]

06:55 PM on 12/11/2010

Agreed. I put in a couple after getting frustrated with the kids and wife leaving lights on all the time. Sensors do consume a little power by themselves, though, so just getting in the habit of turning lights off is best. Timers can help too. Outside lights are on photo-sensors and/or timers.

Another helpful trick is to plug all the wall-warts and inline power adaptors into a power strip and turn the power strip off when nothing is actually being used or charged.

[OdinsEye]

01:42 AM on 12/11/2010

CFLs:

1) Normal ones cannot be dimmed and dimmable ones don't dim very well.
2) They contain mercury, but the amount is normally very small and breaking a CFL is not the superfund disaster scenario many paint it to be.
3) They don't work well outdoors and colder weather requires a CFL with a special outdoor/cold weather ballast.
4) Are not for use in moist, damp, or wet environments (IOW bathrooms).
5) Are not to be used in enclosed fixtures and even use in hooded downard facing fixtures can be a problem.
6) Can cause Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) with cell phones, cordless phones, wifi, etc.

LEDs:
1) Do not give a great spectrum
2) To get LEDs to be bright they are often pulsed rapidly, creating a strobe efffect
3) Can be dimmable, but it is generally not very smooth
4) Should not be used in enclosed fixtures
5) Tend to be better for spots/floods, not broad/omni directional fixtures
6) Can cause RFI with cordless phones, cell phones, wifi, etc.

[Cathbach]

11:04 PM on 12/11/2010

You can add:

CFL's:

1) Are not the great deal they're made out to be. Average costs for electricity are 10 cents a kwh, not 32, which means the article overstates their cost-efficiency by 200%. Although costs are coming down, a 150 W equivalent (I like LOTS of light) costs about $10 versus about $1 for an incandescent.

2) Only have the exaggerated usage-life advertised, if you never turn them off.

3) Are usually marketed as "equivalent" to incandescents that provide 10-20% more light (check the "lumens" or foot-candles measure.

I'm not going to pick on LED's yet; they're still very new on the market and I find them great for camping and other battery-powered applications, but not ready to substitute for "real" lights.

Ultimately, the real message I get from the facts on the ground of conservation lighting promoters is simply, "use less light". Since my body requires light levels approaching that of real sunlight for several hours a day (and REAL darkness at night -- apparently my pineal gland actually works), dimmer-switches and "area lighting" don't do the trick. I see them as urgings to make do with less -- a LOT less -- and pretend that I like it that way. I don't.

[MajorAdamHenry]

07:55 AM on 12/12/2010

You really need to look at Flip Chip LED. They have a full spectrum from blue to absolute warm. Flip Chip LED are NOT pulsed and thus create an amazingly pleasant light. This NEW led technology can be dimmable and creates such a small amount of heat, you can almost eliminate heat management. Imagine a can light without the need for the can and the breach of your ceiling. Oh, and FCLED is water resistant and can be used in wet environments and is durability tested for DOD purposes. Seems everything you thought you knew about led has changed. Take a look. www.enerlightingusa.com .

[OdinsEye]

03:16 PM on 12/12/2010

Technology progresses, but for the LEDs you are going to be able to buy right now at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. for your existing features, everything I said is true.

[mokshasha]

11:46 PM on 12/10/2010

why do they picture a CFL when they headline LED's? does anyone check these little presentations before posting?

[EcoCatLady]

05:45 AM on 12/11/2010

Ha! My thoughts exactly!

[Minolta]

10:04 PM on 12/10/2010

Lead based paint inside our homes was a HUGE mistake because of children. Their bodies are growing and not formed. They live low to the ground and inhale much of the dust and dirt in our homes, the chemicals and lead was stunting their mental growth.

Bringing these fragile bulbs with mercury into our homes is another big mistake. When one breaks you NEVER get all the mercury out of your house. It will wind up in your children's bodies and it will damage them.

These bulbs are a mistake. Just like taking the corn and turning it into fuel was a mistake. Al Gore was man enough to stand up and say it's wrong to turn food into fuel because it starves poor people around the globe, it drives up food costs. And he admitted he was for it for political reasons and will now stand against it.

Stand up against mercury bulbs of any sort in our homes and around our children.

[esquilax]

10:31 PM on 12/10/2010

Your child is more likely to be run over by a car or hit by a bus. Relax, you'll live longer.

[KarlaElisa]

12:20 AM on 12/11/2010

Imagine a world where you only use organic candles or firelight. That's the world I want. Electricity is overrated.

[Minolta]

05:41 AM on 12/11/2010

Rght, sure you do. As you sit and read by your lamp and watch your TV and bake in your oven and have your laundry machine clean your clothes and your electric alarm clock and your bathroom fan and etc etc etc.

You aren't fooling anyone. Going back to fire isn't going to happen.

[Minolta]

05:42 AM on 12/11/2010

Why don't you start you way to candle world by turning off your computer and never turning it on again! Save the planet!